


a quiet conversation

by pein



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, OC-centric, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-20 20:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14268675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pein/pseuds/pein
Summary: *gift fic for bisexualdizee*akihiko makes an unlikely friend at a party he definitely doesn't want to be at.





	a quiet conversation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [johnseeds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnseeds/gifts).



"I am going to _kill_ Sasuke for bailing on me."

Akihiko dodges a drunk asshole's hand once, twice, and then ducks into the hallway. He pulls out his phone with shaking hands and checks the time. 10 PM. He'd promised Deidara he'd stay until midnight. Akihiko curses under his breath and heads for Sasori's room. He'd said he'd _stay_ , not that he'd party.

However, a loud crash from the guest room directly beside Sasori's catches his attention, and being the curious 19-year-old he is, Akihiko tugs his sweater sleeves further down and opens the door gingerly.

"Fuckin' hell, who let a middle schooler in here?" The voice is surprised, deep, and, oddly enough, not one bit sarcastic. "Is this another one of Itachi's cousins?"

Akihiko's eyes narrow and zero in on the source of the voice. And then they widen.

_Fuck, he's a giant!_

The man is almost a foot taller than Akihiko, brushing and then passing 6 feet tall in his mind. Akihiko, a measly 5 foot 5, grits his teeth and gets ready to cuss him out.

"Oh, hey, kitten," drawls another voice lazily from behind him. "Come to check out my boyfriend?"

The hairs on the back of Akihiko's neck stand up. "Hidan," he hisses.

"Relax," Hidan sighs, hip checking the younger man out of the way. "I'm just tryin' to get laid."

"You know them?" the tall man asks bemusedly.

"Him," corrects Hidan. "This is Akihiko. He's 19 and dating Itachi's brother."

"So I was close."

"Speaking of, where is Sasuke? You never go anywhere without him lately." Hidan turns to Akihiko and puts a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Did he finally dump you? I mean, I gotta say, we've all seen this coming. Except Itachi. And Deidara. And Sasori. And-"

"Shut up," says Akihiko, rolling his eyes. "We're still together. He just got sick and forgot to tell me until 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave."

"Fair enough."

"So who's _that_?" Akihiko asks, pointing to the tall man.

"My boyfriend. Weren't you listening?"

"I'm Tatsu," says the man. "Sorry for mistaking you as a kid. You're just... small."

"And you're giant," Akihiko replies. "Don't tell me you're the middle schooler here. I might die."

"Feisty, isn't he?" asks Hidan proudly. "He's beaten me in a fight before."

"Multiple times."

"Technicalities!"

"Aki, where the fuck are ya, hm?"

Akihiko sighs. "I'm in here, Deidara," he calls.

"Finally," whines Deidara, poking his head into the guest room. "Whatcha doin' in here with those two? Nothing good'll come from it, yeah!"

"I'm aware," says Akihiko flatly. "I was trying to hide from the rest of the bastards clogging up the living room."

"And we're trying to fuck, short stuff. Now get out." And so Hidan shoves Akihiko out the door, closes it, and locks it.

Deidara raises an eyebrow at Akihiko. "Still wanna hide back here?"

"Are you sure I can't go home early?"

"12 AM means 12 AM, Aki," replies Deidara cheerfully. "Now let's get you something to drink!"

"I'm underage," mutters Akihiko.

"Never stopped me when I was 19!"

\---

"Kitten!"

Akihiko grits his teeth and turns his phone's music up louder. He has an hour left. Only an hour. Now, if Hidan would take the _fucking_ hint and-

A pair of strong arms latch around Akihiko's waist and he immediately goes for an uppercut. Hidan catches his fist and grins.

"Knew you'd heard me."

Akihiko pulls out an earbud. "Hear what? That's just my first reaction to a creep touching me."

"Hidan, I'm not sure this is a good idea," warns Tatsu. "He really doesn't look in the mood."

"It's fine! I'm not scared of him!"

Akihiko takes a deep breath, calmly puts his phone away, and suckerpunches Hidan in the gut.

"Oh, _great_ ," groans Tatsu. "I was hoping to end the night without having to carry Hidan out."

"There's still an hour for him to wake up," Akihiko points out, pulsing chakra into a certain point on Hidan's neck until the older man slumps over. Tatsu catches him and picks him up.

"Well, you wanted to hide from the world, right?" asks Tatsu. "I'm gonna go put him in the guest room and we can go chill outside. I need a cigarette."

Akihiko opens his mouth to retort, thinks better of it, and nods sharply. "Alright."

A few minutes later, Tatsu and Akihiko are standing outside on the balcony. For a few minutes, all is silent. It's awkward, going from strangers to "I just KO'd your boyfriend" to companions in silence. But then Tatsu speaks.

"PTSD, right?"

Akihiko stiffens immediately, drawing his arms close and hugging himself. He looks over at Tatsu, who's staring at the night sky with a contemplative look. Then he glances behind him to make sure the door to the balcony is firmly shut.

"Yeah," he says quietly. "PTSD."

"Why do you come to these things if all they do is bother you?"

"I usually come with my boyfriend," says Akihiko, drawing a pattern on the dirty railing. "And I come because I don't usually see Deidara otherwise."

"Do they know? About you hating this, I mean."

Akihiko narrows his eyes and looks back over at Tatsu. The much taller man looks over to meet Akihiko's gaze. "Do they?" he repeats.

"They do," replies Akihiko after a moment of silence. He averts his eyes. "But I don't think they know how bad it is."

"Tell them."

"I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

"A mix."

"The words refuse to come out and you don't want to."

"You're not my therapist. We just met."

"And yet you have not stopped me once."

Akihiko chews his bottom lip, looking up at the moon. "Does it help, smoking cigarettes?"

A surprised silence drags on for a good 30 seconds, and then Tatsu huffs. "Not enough."

"What does help?"

"Telling people."

"Only one person knows how bad it is."

"Hidan, right?"

"It's the same for you, isn't it?" Akihiko frowns at the sky. "He has a way of dragging that shit out of you."

"He doesn't even ask," laughs Tatsu. "He just gives you that look and you spill your fuckin' guts."

"He's an asshole," says Akihiko. "I hate him."

Tatsu hums in response. "So, when are you going to sit down with Deidara and your boyfriend and tell them why exactly you can't deal with parties?"

"I'd hoped you'd forgotten about that," groans Akihiko. "I don't know."

"Not knowing is okay, y'know."

"You just told me I have to tell them!"

"I suggested it, and then told you that it helps. I didn't say when or how."

"Shut up." Akihiko catches his breath, realizing he's on the verge of panicking. "Fuck, sorry."

"Want a cigarette? It helps."

Akihiko jerks around to look at Tatsu. "You just said it doesn't help enough!"

"I was joking. You shouldn't smoke. You have a nice voice."

Akihiko scowls. "I hate it."

"You're trans, right? Goddamn, trans and gay." Tatsu shakes his head. "I am, too, though."

"You're _what_?"

Tatsu glances over at Akihiko and grins. "I had top surgery at a pretty young age. Your parents dying means that it's easier for you to do what you want. Getting the money was hell, though."

"Oh," says Akihiko.

"Sorry, was that too much?"

Akihiko gives the other man a small smile. "Actually, I'm an orphan as well."

Tatsu freezes. His still-lit cigarette falls from his hand.

"Tatsu?" asks Akihiko, concerned.

The older man shakes his head, seeming to snap out of it. "Christ, I'm fine. Sorry. I just can't imagine someone else going through what I've been through."

"To be fair," says Akihiko, "I was disowned before it happened. I was, what, eleven?" He frowns, trying to remember.

"Where did you _go_?"

Akihiko sighs and looks away again. "I went into the foster system. Thrown from family to family until I met the Hughes'. Maes works for the military and Gracia is a stay at home mom. They treat me pretty well. And their daughter is adorable."

"Ah." Tatsu goes quiet for a minute. "I'm glad you didn't go to the streets. You're very soft. You'd get destroyed."

"Did that happen to you?" asks Akihiko. "Wait, no. I don't need to know that."

"It's fine. But I'd rather not talk about it."

Akihiko's phone goes off, and he jumps. Loud, bright pop music breaks the mood and both men laugh.

"It's Sasuke," Akihiko says with a smile. "I gotta take this."

"Where _are_ you?" yells Sasuke as soon as Akihiko hits accept call. Tatsu can hear it all clearly, as evident by the wince on his face.

"Still at the party. Sorry, Sasu. Got distracted. I'll be home in a few, I promise!" Akihiko, ever the expert at dealing with hysterical boyfriends, says all of this with the same pleasant smile. "I love you, okay? I'm safe. I'm alive. I'll see you soon. Okay, bye!" He hits end call and sighs. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Tatsu."

Tatsu takes the phone from Akihiko's hand and opens the contacts app. "No password?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. Akihiko shrugs, suddenly shy. Tatsu puts in his number and name and hands back Akihiko's phone.

"Text me when you get home, alright? You're walking, I'm sure. Be careful."

Akihiko bites his lip and nods, putting his phone away. He toys with the hem of his sweater. "Um... I hope we can hang out sometime. You're really cool."

"Ah?" Tatsu's eyes widen, taken aback. "Don't say dumb shit, kiddo. I'm going home soon, too. Now go. Your boyfriend needs you."

Akihiko nods again and runs back inside to say goodbye to Deidara. As he walks home, he thinks of the conversation he's had.

_Maybe it's time to make a change,_ he muses. _Maybe it's time I start being honest._

He's home before he knows it, and unlocks the front door. He's immediately met with an armful of hysterical Uchiha, and he laughs as he's nearly tackled in greeting.

"What happened? Did someone bother you?" asks Sasuke, looking over Akihiko with the precision of the medical student that he is.

"I made a friend," says Akihiko with a smile. He pulls out his phone.

_I got home safe,_ he texts. _Thank you for worrying._

There's an almost immediate response.

_I forgot that you'd knocked Hidan out. You're paying for it next time I see you._

Akihiko laughs, brushes off Sasuke's questions, and heads for bed.

Maybe parties aren't the worst.


End file.
